The present invention relates generally to air hose reels and, in particular, to a reel for storing and deploying an air hose to be connected between a source of pressured air and a pneumatic tool which reel can be mounted for use in a specific location and easily detached from its mounting bracket and used remotely.
Air hoses are well known and are typically utilized to connect a source of pressured air to various pneumatically powered tools such as paint atomizers, cutters, grinders, drills, screwdrivers, hammers, rivet guns, impact wrenches, ratchets, sanders and polishers, among others. Take-up reels for managing the use and storage of air hoses and electrical cords are well known. Such reels consist basically of a spool rotatably affixed to a structural component whereby the spool is manually or automatically rotated to wind an elongated hose or cord thereabout. Typically, such automatic reels employ a variety of spring and ratchet mechanisms for maintaining the hose/cord in the extended position and rewinding the hose/cord onto the spool when it is no longer needed. Such reels are particularly useful in industrial or commercial settings such as automobile repair shops, machine shops, carpentry shops and construction sites. These reels permit workers to readily access pressurized air as needed for the operation of portable pneumatic tools at various locations remote from an existing air compressor. In addition, the use of air hose reels makes it possible to provide only a short air fitting, such as a coupling or the like, on the various pneumatic tools thereby simplifying the movement and storage of the disconnected pneumatic tools.
While exterior designs may vary, retracting reels for electric cords and air hoses basically include a spool mounted on a shaft supported for rotation on a bracket or housing, and a cooperating ratchet and pawl to arrest the rotation of the spool when the air hose or electric cord has been paid out to a desired length, and a spring for rotating the spool in a direction to rewind the air hose or electric cord when the ratchet and pawl are disengaged. Such electrical cord reels are shown, for example, in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,619,518; 3,715,526; 3,808,382; 4,726,538; and 6,273,354.
Various types of air hose reels are shown in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,759,560; 5,381,820; 5,666,992; and 5,732,733. These prior art reels disadvantageously do not provide a closed protective housing and satisfactory means for sealing the air pressure at the connections within the housing of the air reel.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide an air hose reel that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art noted above. It remains desirable, therefore, to provide a cost-effective and functional air hose reel that provides a satisfactory means for enclosing the hose and sealing the air pressure at the connections within the housing of the air reel.
The present invention concerns an air hose reel for storing an air hose and connecting the air hose with a pressurized air supply. The air hose reel includes a hollow reel housing having first and second cup-shaped housing halves, each of the housing halves having a generally inverted U-shaped handle portion extending outwardly therefrom, the handle portions cooperating to form a handle for hand carrying the air hose reel. A generally U-shaped mounting bracket for attaching the air hose reel to a mounting surface is attached by a rod extending through apertures formed in the mounting bracket and apertures formed in at least one of the handle portions, the rod detachably attaching the housing to the mounting bracket. A nut releasably attaches to the rod and prevents removal of the rod from the mounting bracket apertures and the at least one handle portion apertures. A flange is mounted on an exterior of the second half of the housing, the flange including a first tubular portion extending outwardly from the reel housing and adapted to be connected to a source of pressured air, and a second tubular portion extending inside the reel housing and in fluid communication with the first tubular portion, the second tubular portion having an annular groove formed in an exterior surface and an O-ring retained in the groove.
A pulley is rotatably mounted inside the reel housing on an axis of rotation. A nozzle is mounted on the pulley, the nozzle having a tubular nozzle inlet receiving the second tubular portion, the O-ring sealing between the exterior surface of the second tubular portion and an interior surface of the nozzle inlet, the nozzle having a nozzle outlet in fluid communication with the nozzle inlet, the nozzle outlet extending transverse to the axis of rotation. A reel hose is wound on the pulley, the reel hose having one end attached to the nozzle outlet by a hose clamp and an opposite end extending through the housing aperture. A shaft is mounted in the first half of the reel housing, the shaft rotatably supporting the pulley. A return spring is mounted in the pulley for automatically winding up the reel hose, the return spring having one end attached to the pulley and an opposite end attached to the shaft.